SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALICE BOMAN – DREAM ON

Alice Boman
Dream On
[PIAS] Recordings

“Sad songs say so much”, or so we’ve heard. Nowhere is that sentiment more present than with Dream On, the latest offering from the Swedish artist Alice Boman. After a steady stream of EPs and singles over the past seven years or so, Dream On is Boman’s first full-length album release.

With vocals that are at once fragile and assertive, evoking the deft lightness of Jane Siberry, Boman delivers her songs with beauty and directness. The production is relatively sparse, mostly using piano with synth embellishments, in addition to bass and percussion. The clean and uncomplicated production by Patrik Berger and Fabian Prynn occasionally brings to mind the pensive work of Angelo Baldamenti.

In the song “Who Knows”, Boman lays out some honest thoughts on existence:

“I live in a light, I live in a dream
I’m scared of losing, I’m scared of everything
I escape my mind, I choose to not see
I fear that all I want, Is right in front of me
Who knows where time goes, Who knows where it ends?”

These are heavy ideas, but when they are delivered with the music, the message comes across in a way that is plaintive and beautiful.

If there was an attempt on Boman’s part to create a commercial album, it would seem to have been unintentional. The hooks are there, but they exist naturally and almost without effort. While the lyrical themes may centre around pain and sadness, the overall album actually serves to uplift. Listeners may not find the feel-good hit of the season here, but they will enjoy Boman’s meditative, artful, and honest songs. This is an album that you can wrap yourself up in.

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